Two for the price of one

In a busy world, where there never seems to be enough hours in the day, it makes sense to double up. While we’re not going to recommend two-in-one shampoo and conditioner (take two bottles into the shower, we say), there are some products and treatments that get the job done in one fell swoop, leaving more time in the mornings/evenings or - if it’s a treatment – another 30 mins in the spa. Stylish Spy looks at some time-sparing (not to mention penny-saving) must-haves…

TREATMENTS

Best of Both
(60mins, £135)

Put that coin away: the toss-up between a facial and a massage can be avoided by booking a Best of Both treatment - an aromatic bamboo back massage followed by a skin-boosting facial. The massage combines OTO’s Amplify Body Oil – containing bitter orange, juniper berry, grapefruit and CBD – with a hand-crafted bamboo roller to release tension in the body whilst relaxing the mind. The facial element relies on the hydrating power of baobab oil, anti-oxidising Helichrysum flower, and cooling, sculpting quartz crystal to encourage cell renewal.

Your Best You
(80mins, £150)

This new personalised Himalayan salt stones massage and facial combo is designed to support women in their ‘second spring’, whatever their age, with a choice or hot or cold stones – or a combination of the two (or begin with cold and switch to hot depending on your mood). While the negative ions in the stones reduce stress, increase energy and boost positivity, Temple Spa takes care of skincare. The treatment flawlessly moves onto a facial of epic proportions with a lymph drainage massage to reduce puffiness.  
Try it at: Hope Street Hotel Spa

PRODUCTS

Made For Life Skin Solve Balm
(50ml, £29.50)

Sunburn? Insect bite? Chapped skin? Nappy rash? Look no further than this long-lasting, multi-purpose balm which comes in a portable purple pot with silver lid. The buttery balm inside is heavy with lavender and rose oil – perfect for getting babies to sleep; the 100% organic formula a hit with puritans. It can also be used as a moisturiser for sensitive or problematic skin, a soothing face mask and a calming balm for skin irritations or wounds. We took it on a recent camping trip and reached for it on several occasions: at bedtime when we couldn’t lay our hands on our usual moisturiser, as a lip balm on a hot day and to calm a pesky nettle rash when we couldn’t see any dock leaves. First aid in a jar? We think so.

Elemis Targeted Toning Body Moisturiser
(200ml, £78)

When the meddling menopause rids your skin of moisture, leaving your thighs bumpier than ever (we know…), there isn’t a lot you can do except exercise more and drink less (wine that is, you should up your water intake). But cellulite-busting creams can also help firm new areas of wobble, with many on the market to try. We used Elemis’ Targeted Toning Moisturiser every day for a month – combining it with a body brush for extra heave-ho. Containing Nigari salt and juniper to tighten, the cream melts into an oil on contact to leave skin silky smooth. Does it work? On its own, no, but combined with a healthy diet and exercise, it becomes that all-important third prong in the triangle of attack.

Germaine de Capuccini B-Calm Correcting Moisturising Cream SPF 20
(50ml, £80.05)

With many things to put right in the battle for beautiful skin (from acne and dryness to pollution and sun damage), correction creams have a tough job. While this particular Spa Spy never struggles with spots, wrinkles and dark spots have begun to make themselves at home. In an attempt to show them the door, we tried Germaine de Capuccini’s B-Calm Correcting Cream, a minty-green, fragrance-free fluid designed to reduce redness and irritation. The addition of SPF20 makes it ideal for the winter months when the low-lying sun can still cause damage. We used it all summer in place of a serum, topping up with SPF50 before leaving the house. The result? Several wrinkles and dark spots finally packed their bags; new ones thought twice before arriving.

Natura Bissé C+C Vitamin Splash
(200ml, £48)

Revisit summer with Natura Bissé’s C+C Vitamin Splash, a hydrating, anti-oxidising, refreshing mist containing Mediterranean notes of citrus, rosemary, mint and lavender rose. At 200ml’s it’s definitely a stay-at-home product; we kept ours on our desk and spritzed away during the usual post-lunch lull to keep the mood up - and skin hydrated. With the top needing a rather firm push – and the ideal distance from hand-to-face hard to gauge – it took a few attempts to get a spritz rather than a squirt, but the experimenting was worth it. If only we could buy a smaller version for London visits, where the anti-oxidising formula would give the city pollution a run for its money and the cooling spray ideal for long tube journeys.